Person:James Anderson (141)

About James Patton Anderson

Anderson, James Patton (1822-1872)^[2]
Confederate General, Congressman

James Patton Anderson was a son of William Preston Anderson and Margaret Adair Anderson. He was born in Winchester, Tennessee, in 1822. His father having died when James was still a boy, Anderson was brought up by his grandfather, who had him educated at Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. As a young man, Anderson moved to Mississippi where he became a physician and county sheriff. Whle engaged in these occupations, Anderson studied law and was admitted to the Mississippi bar. In 1847 he raised the 1st Battalion Mississippi Rifles to fight in the Mexican War and became the unit's Lieutenant Colonel amd then Colonel.

Upon his return to the United States, Anderson became involved in Mississippi politics, served in the state legislature and became a protege of Jefferson Davis. After losing his first bid for re-election to the state legislature, Anderson was appointed by President Franklin Pierce - probably at the urging of the President's Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis - to serve as U.S. Marshall in the Washington Territory and to take the territorial census. Anderson became so popular in Washington that he was selected as the territory's congressional delagate. He served in that position from 1855 to 1857. When offered the position of Territorial Governor by President James Buchanan, however, Anderson refused because of his desire in the midst of the sectional crisis to return to the South.

Anderson moved to Florida to manage the plantation of an elderly aunt and there became involved in Florida politics. Jefferson County, Florida sent him as one of its delegates to the sucession convention and then as a congressman to the Provisional Confederate Congress.

Within a few months, however, Anderson resigned his seat to join the 1st Florida Regiment stationed under Braxton Bragg at Pensicola. In February 1862 he received a promotion to Brigadier General. He led a brigade at Shiloh and in the defense of Corinth. In Bragg's invasion of Kentucky, he temporarily commanded a division that constituted the left of Bragg's morning attack on 8 October 1862 at Perryville. At Stone's River he was again in command of his brigade when he captured a portion of the Union artillery. Leading a division, the following year at Chickamauga, Georgia, Anderson was commended for his bravery there, and a few months later he led the same division at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In February 1864, Anderson received a promotion to Major General and was placed in charge of the District of Florida. In summer 1864, John Bell Hood summoned him from Florida after replacing Joseph Johnston in the defense of Atlanta. Anderson fought at Ezra Church and Utoy Creek before suffering a severe wound at Jonesboro. Physicians judged that his injuries would preclude further service, but as Sherman made his way through the Carolinas in the early months of 1865, Anderson ignored this advice and rejoined the army. He surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, but stubbornly refused a parole.

Following the war, Anderson served as an editor of an agricultural newspaper and as a tax collector in Tennessee.

- David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler

For further readings:

Anderson, James Patton "Autobiography" (Transcript, Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina). Hoffman, John. The Confederate Collapse at the Battle of Missionary Ridge: The Reports of James Patton Anderson and His Brigade Commanders (1985).

Autobiography of James Patton Anderson

BIOGRAPHY OF GENERAL JAMES PATTON ANDERSON

I was born in Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee, on the sixteenth day of February, 1822. My father, William Preston Anderson, was a native of Botetourt County, Virginia, and was born about the year 1775. During the second term of General Washington's administration he received from the President a commission of Lieutenant in the United States Army. About this time or soon after, he removed to Tennessee, and at one time was U. S. District Attorney for the ____judicial district, and was subsequently surveyor-general of the district of Tennessee. In the year of 1812, he was colonel in the 24th U. S. Infantry, and was accidentally with Colonel Grogan in his defense of Fort Harrison. During the war, he married my mother, Margaret L. Adair, who was the fifth daughter of Major-General John Adair, of Mercer County, Kentucky. He had previously been married to Miss Nancy Bell, by whom he had three children, Musadora, Rufus Klink, and Caroline. In the second marriage there were born Nancy Bell, Catherine Adair, John Adair, James Patton, Thomas Scott, and Butler Preston. When I was an infant my father removed from the town of Winchester to his farm, "Craggy Hope", about six miles distant, where he resided until his death in 1831. When about eight years old I was sent for a short time to a country school near home, where I learned the alphabet and began to spell and read. Soon after my father's death, my mother returned to her father's home with her six children. My brother, John Adair, and myself were soon sent to the house of Charles Buford (who had married my mothers' youngest sister) in Scott County, Ky., and remained there about a year, attending a country school taught by a Mr. Phillips. This was in 1831-32. In 1833, I returned to my grandfather's and went to school to a young man named Van Dyke who taught in the neighborhood, afterwards to Mr. Tyler, and still later to Mr. Boutwell, who were successively principals of Cave Run Academy in Mercer County. I was then sent to the house of Judge Thomas B. Monroe, in Frankfort. Mrs. Monroe was also a sister of my mother. Here I remained about a year attending a select school taught by B. B. Sayre. About this time, my mother was married to Dr. J. N. Bybee, of Harrodsburg, Ky. I was taken to his house and went to school in the village to a Mr. Rice, and afterwards to a Mr. Smith. In October, 1836, I was sent to Jefferson College, at Cannonsburg, Pa. I remained there a year, when pecuniary misfortunes compelled my stepfather to withdraw me. In the winter of 1838 I kept up my studies with a young man named Terry, then teaching in Harrodsburg. During the winter I bordered in the house with my uncle, John Adair, three miles in the country. In the spring of 1838 I was sent to Three Forks of the Kentucky River, in Estill County, where my stepfather had established a sawmill and had opened a coal mine. During this year too, I made a trip with my mother to Winchester, Tenn., on horseback, where she went to close up some of the business of my father's estate. In the fall of 1838, my stepfather determined to remove to north Mississippi, then being rapidly settled, the Indians having been removed west of the Mississippi River. I accompanied him on horseback from Harrodsburg to Hernando in De Soto County, Mississippi. I remained there during the winter of 1838-39, assisting in the building of cabins, clearing land, etc., for the comfort of the family. In April, 1839, I was sent back to Jefferson College. I entered the Junior Class and graduated in 1840. I returned to DeSoto County, Miss., and began the study of Law in the office of Buckner and Delafield, and was admitted to the bar by Judge Howry in 1843.

Having no money with which to support myself, and the bar being crowded with the best talent in Tennessee, Alabama, and other states which had been attracted to this country by its great prosperity and promise, I accepted the position of deputy sheriff of DeSoto County under my brother-in-law, Colonel James M. Murray, who had been elected to that office in 1843. I held this position, from which a comfortable support was derived, till 1846, when the prospect seemed favorable to commence the practice of law. In the summers of 1844-45, I spent three months of each year at the law school of Judge Thomas B. Monroe, at Montrose over at Frankfort, KY. I have always regarded these months as more profitably spent than any others of my life. In 1847 I formed a partnership with R. B. Mays, a young lawyer of the state about my own age. (During the time I discharged the duties of deputy sheriff I also practiced Law in partnership with my former preceptor, E. F. Buckner, whenever I could do so consistently with the duties of the office). In October, 1847, I received an earnest appeal from Governor A. G. Brown of Mississippi, to organize a company in response to a call from the President of the United States, for service to Mexico. (I had previously made several efforts to enter the military service during the war with Mexico, but all the organizations for DeSoto County had failed to be received by the Governor, their distance from the capitol making them too late in reporting). In a few days I organized a company of volunteers from the regiment of militia in the county, of which I was then Colonel. I was elected Captain of the Company without opposition. H. Carr Forrest was elected First Lieutenant, and my brother, John Adair, was elected Second Lieutenant and by brother Thomas Scott, orderly sergeant. Two other companies had already reached the encampment. After waiting a fortnight or more for the other two companies of the battalion called for by the President to report, the five companies were sent to New Orleans for equipment and organization. Having received arms, clothing, etc. they embarked about the second of January 1848, for Tampico, Mexico.

On the 22nd of February, 1848, I was elected at Tampico Lieutenant Colonel to command the battalion. I remained at Tampico till the close of the war, when I was mustered out of the service along with the battalion at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and then reached my home at Hernando on the 4th of July, 1848.

I resumed the practice of law in partnership with R. B. Mays. Our prospects were flattering as the business of the firm was gradually increasing. In the Fall of 1849 I was elected one of the members of the Legislature from DeSoto County after a very heated and closely contested canvass. In January, 1850, I took my seat in the Legislature. General John Quitman was at the same time inaugurated Governor of the State. The celebrated compromise measures were then pending in Congress of the United States, and the country much excited on the topics then being discussed. Jefferson Davis and H. S. Foote were then the United States Senator from Mississippi. I took the same view of the question with Davis and Quitman.....voted for a resolution in the House of Representatives of Miss., requesting Sen. Foote to resign his seat, inasmuch as he did not reflect the will of the State in voting for the compromise bill. I sustained cordially and sincerely all the prominent measures of Governor Quitman's administration, and believed great injustice and wrong was done the South in the passage of the compromise bill by the Congress of the County for a seat in the Legislature. My health at this time was very bad, which precluded me from making a through canvass of the county. The contest was exceedingly warm and in many portions of the state even bitter. It has passed into history. Mr. Davis was defeated for Governor by Mr. Foote. The whole Democratic Party was left in the minority; with the rest, I was defeated by over a hundred majority in a aggregate vote of about 1800; resumed the practice of Law; succeeded as well as could be expected; health still bad from ague and fever.

In 1853 Jefferson was tendered the position of Secretary of War in Mr. Pierce's cabinet. In answer to a letter of mine in February of this year, he advised me to proceed to Washington City where he would use his influence to procure me a commission in the new rifle regiments then about to be raised by Congress for frontier defense. My health at this time became so bad from the effects of sedentary habits and the agues engendered in a miasmatic climate, that friends and physicians advised me to remove from Mississippi to a colder and drier climate. I accepted Mr. Davis' proposal and repaired to Washington City, where I arrived on the night of March 4, 1853, in time to learn that the bill had failed for want of time to receive Mr. Filmore's signature. I remained however, a fortnight without making any effort or application to receive any other position. The bill to organize the territory of Washington had become a law on the 3rd of March. My uncle, John Adair, who had removed to Astoria in Oregon in 1848, was now in Washington City and was extremely anxious for me to remove to that distant region, where my brothers, John and Butler, had gone in 1850. Through his instrumentality and the kindness of Mr. Davis (now Secretary of War), I was appointed United States Marshall for the territory of Washington. I accepted it and set about making preparations for the journey. Two difficulties were in the way....1st, the want of money, and 2nd, I was engaged to be married to my cousin Henrietta Buford Adair, and I doubted the policy of taking her into such a wild and new country with no other help or dependence than my own exertions. I returned to Memphis where she was, consulted her, and we agreed to try our fortunes on this unknown sea. Her father gave her eight hundred dollars, and borrowing six hundred from Stephen D. Johnston, of DeSoto County (This was soon returned by collections from his practice, which his health at the time did not permit him to attend to. --E. A. A.), I raised about the same amount. (My recollection is that he raised about a thousand, possibly a little more.--E.A.A.) We were married in Memphis on the 30th of April, 1853, and in an hour afterwards were on our way to the Pacific coast aboard a steamer bound from New Orleans. We embarked at New Orleans on the 7th of May on board a steamer bound for Greytown in Nicaragua. The first day at sea, my wife was taken very ill of a fever. For several days her life seemed to suspended by a thread{sic}. These were the most anxious days of my life. Happily she was better by the time we reached Greytown. Taking a small river steamer, we commenced the ascent of the San Juan River. After several days of toil we reached the Virgin Bay, only to learn that the steamer from San Francisco, on which we expected to reach that city on her return trip, had sprung a leak and was compelled to go down the coast to Panama for repairs, and that she would probably not return for a month. This was a great disappointment to the eight hundred passengers at Virgin Bay, who were eager to reach the gold fields of California, but to me it was a matter for rejoicing, since a few weeks rest in Nicaragua would probably restore my wife to health, before undertaking another long sea voyage. We remained at Virgin Bay nearly a month. My wife recovered, and we embarked at San Juan del Sud the first week in June. Reached San Francisco in fourteen days, where we had to stay near a fortnight in wait for the steamer which was to take us to the Columbia River. At the expiration of this time we set sail in the steamer "Columbia," bound for Astoria, Oregon. Among the passengers were my uncle, John Adair and his oldest daughter; Capt. George B. McCellan, U. S. A.; Major Larned, U. S. A., and several other officer of the army, besides two companies of the _____infantry (I think the 4th.___E. A. A.) After passing the bar at the mouth of the Columbia a reckoning was taken between my wife and myself on the state of our finances. It was ascertained that the sum total on hand was exactly one dollar! (Paper money would not pass on that coast.--E.A.A.) It would not pay for landing our trunks at Astoria, which place was then in sight and was our present destination. I threw the dollar into the raging Columbia and began to whistle to keep my courage up. An officer came on the deck whom I had not seen at the table or elsewhere during the voyage. He inquired if Colonel Anderson was in the crowd. I replied and introduced myself to him. He made himself known as Rufus Saxton, U. S. A. , and said that he had left New York on the steamer that came a fortnight after I had left New Orleans, and that he had an official communication for me from the Secretary of the Interior, at the same time handing me a paper in a large official envelop. Taking it in my hand I began to deposit it in my coat pocket without breaking the seal, when he requested that I would open it and see whether he had brought it and contents safely to hand. On opening it I found it to contain instructions for me as United States Marshal to proceed at once to take a census of the inhabitants of the new territory of Washington, and also a treasury daft for a thousand dollars, to defray my expense in the work! This was a piece of good fortune in the nick of time, for in two more minutes the steamer dropped anchor off the city of Astoria, and soon we disembarked. My wife remained at the house of our uncle at Astoria and I started in a few days to Puget Sound to commence the official labors assigned me. I reached Olympia on the 4th of July and on the 5th started through the territory to take the census. The only mode of travel then known in the country was by canoe with the Indians as waterman, or on foot. For two months I was constantly engaged this way, frequently walking as much as twenty-five miles per day, and carrying my blanket, provisions and papers on my back. My health was already robust and the work was a pleasure.

On completing the census, my wife accompanied me in a canoe, etc., up the Cowlitz River to Olympia, where the capital of the territory was likely to be established and where I had determined to settle. At first we rented a little house and then I bough one, in which we lived very happily and pleasantly during our stay in the territory. In addition to the discharge of my duties as United States Marshal I practiced law in the Territorial courts whenever the two duties did not conflict.

In 1855 I was nominated by the Democratic Party for the position of Delegate to the United States Congress. My competitor was Judge Strong, formerly United States District Judge in Oregon. We began a thorough canvass of the whole Territory as soon as appointments for public speaking could be distributed among the people. I was successful at the election, which came off in June. Soon thereafter the report of gold discoveries near Fort Colville on the upper Columbia reached the settlements on Puget sound, and several persons began preparations for a trip into that region. Not desiring to start for Washington City before October, in order to be in Washington on the first Monday in December, the meeting of the 34th Congress, to which I had been elected, I determined to go to Fort Colville to inform myself about the gold deposits of that and other unexplored regions of the Territory, the better to be able to lay its wants and resources before Congress and the people of the United States. I started with seven other citizens of Olympia the latter part of June on horseback with pack animals to carry our provisions. Our route lay over the Cascade Mountains, through which was called the Na-Chess Pass, across the Tacoma River and valley, striking the Coumbia River at Priest's Rapids, where we crossed it, and taking the Grande Contee to the mouth of the Spokan River, thence up the left bank of the Columbia by Fort Colville to the mouth of Clark's Fork, where gold was reported to have been found, which we proved by experiment to be true. The trip from Olympia to the mouth of Clark's Fork, as thus described, occupied us about twenty-four days. Other parties followed us soon thereafter. The Indians on the route became alarmed lest their country would be overrun with whites in search of gold and commenced hostilities by killing a man named Mattice, who was on his way to the mines from Olympia. A general Indian war was threatened. I had not been at the mines a week till Angus McDonald, of Fort Colville, sent an express to inform me of the condition of affairs between me and home. We were unarmed, except with two guns and one or two pistols in the party. We were unarmed, except with two guns and one or two pistols in the party. Our provisions were being exhausted, and the appointment for my return had arrived; so the miners concluded to return with me. To avoid the most hostile tribe, led by the chief, Owhi, we made a detour to the east in returning, crossed the Spokan about forty miles above its mouth, passed by the old Whitnam Misssion, crossed Snake River about ten miles above its mouth, went down the Pelouse to Walla Walla, thence acrose to Umatilla near the mission and "Billy McKey's" crossing the Deo Shuttes at its mought, then down to the Dalles, the Cascades, Fort Van Couver, and up the Cowlitz back to Olympia, which we reached it safely about the 1st of October.

During that month my wife and i took the steamer for San Francisco, thence to Panama, Aspinwall, and New York. We reached Washington City a few days before the meeting of Congress. This (34th) Congress will be long remembered as the one which gave rise to such a protracted and heated contest for speaker, to which position Mr. N. P. Banks of Massachusetts was finally elected. This was the first triumph of importance of the fanatical party (now called Republican) which led to the disruption of the Union four years later. Before this struggle for speaker had been decided, and during the Christmas holidays, my wife and I repaired to Casa Bianca, Florida, by invitation of our aunt, Mrs. Ellen Adair Beatty. While there I entered into an agreement with her for the conduct of her plantation under my supervision, etc. My wife remained at Casa Bianca and I returned to my duties in Washington City, only coming to Florida during the vacation.

My term of service in Congress expired the 4th of March, 1857. The same day Mr. Buchanan was inaugurated President for four years. He appointed me Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs of Washington Territory (the same position had been tendered him by Mr. Pierce, which he had declined.--E. A. A.) but I did not accept, wishing to take my wife's advice on the subject. On consultation with her I determined not to return to Washington Territory, believing firmly that the days of the Union were numbered, and not wishing to be absent from the land of my birth when her hour of trial came. I resigned the position tendered me by Mr. Buchanan and devoted myself exclusively to planting at Casa Bianca.

In 1860, when it became certain that Mr. Lincoln was elected President of the United States, the people of Florida, feeling alarmed for the safety of their rights and institutions, began to hold primary meetings preparatory to a general convention of the state. In December, 1860, I was elected a delegate from Jefferson County to a general convention of the state, which assembled at Tallahassee the 1st of January, 1861, and passed the ordinance of secession on the tenth day of the same month, which received my hearty approval. While the convention was yet in session the Governor deemed it prudent to seize such forts, ordnances and ordnance stores as he could, belonging to the United States within the limits of the state. For this purpose a force was sent to Pensacola to seize the Navy yard. Forts Barancas, McBee, and Pickens, to which all United States troops then at Pensacola had now retired. At the request of the company, signified to me in Tallahassee while they were awaiting transportation to St. Mark's, I agreed to command them in this expedition. Another company under Capt. Amaker from Tallahassee was also going on the same errand. We failed at St. Mark's to get steamboat transportation. Returned to Tallahassee and started overland by Quincy, Chattahoochie{sic} Capt. Amaker's commission as Captain was older than mine, but at his urgent request and that of Governor Perry I consented to assume command of the two companies. Having marched to Chattahoochie arsenal, we were stopped by a dispatch from Gov. Perry directing us to remain there until further orders. In about a week it was decided by the officer in command of Florida troops at Pensacola not to attack Fort Pickens, and he accordingly dispatched Gov. Perry to disband my detachment.

In the meantime the convention of Florida had determined to send delegates to a convention of such Southern States as had seceded from the Union, which was to meet in February at Montgomery, Alabama. These delegates from Florida were to be appointed by the Governor by and with the consent of the convention. Governor Perry dispatched me at Chattahoochie arsenal that he had appointed me one of the three delegates to this general convention, and directed me to return to Tallahassee with my two companies where they would be disbanded, which was done.

In February I repaired to Montgomery and took part in the proceedings of the convention, which formed a provisional government for the seceding states. All the principle measures of that body, passed or proposed during the Committee of Military Affairs and favored the raising of troops, etc. I also proposed to have the cooks, nurses, teamsters and pioneers of our army to consist of slaves. After having adopted a provisional constitution and a provisional president, the convention or Congress adjourned about the first of March.

On the 26th of March, while near my home at Monticello, the Governor wrote me that he wished to send a regiment of infantry to Pensacola for Confederate service. My old company was immediately reorganized and on the 28th of march started for the Chattahoochie arsenal, the place appointed for all companies to rendezvous and elect field officers. On the 5th of April I was elected colonel of the First Florida Regiment without opposition, and that night started with the regiment to report to General Bragg at Pensacola. We reached Pensacola on the 11th, and 12th of April went into camp and commenced drilling and exercising the troops. On the nights of the 7th and 8th of October I commanded one of the detachments which made a descent upon the camp of Billy Wilson's Zouaves, under the guns of Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island. The expedition consisted of about a thousand men divided into three detachments, respectively under Col. J. R. Jackson, 5th Georgia Regiment; Col. James R. Chalmers, 9th Mississippi Regiment, and myself. Chalmers had the right, Jackson the center, and I the left; the whole number under command of Brig. Gen. R. H. Anderson, of South Carolina. My command consisted of 100 men from the 1st Florida, 100 men from the 1st Louisiana, and about 150 from the 1st Alabama, and other commands. My loss in this fight was eleven killed, twenty-four wounded, and twelve captured. (I speak from memory),

On the 10th of February, 1862, I was appointed a brigadier general in the provisional army of the Confederate States, and in March was ordered to report to general Bragg, then at Jackson in west Tennessee. Soon after reporting, I was assigned to the command of a brigade of infantry in the division of Brig. Gen. Ruggles, then at Corinth, Miss. This brigade consisted principally of Louisiana troops, to which the 1st Florida and 9th Texas regiments were soon added. I was immediately ordered to the front of Corinth in the direction of Monterey and Pittsburg Landing.

At the Battle of Shiloh my brigade consisted of the 17th and 19th, and 20th Louisiana regiments, the 9th Texas, and the 1st Florida, and Clack's Louisiana battalion, with the 5th Company of Washington Artillery of New Orleans.

Soon after the Battle of Shiloh, Hindman was assigned to the command of Ruggles' division, but only exercised it a few days when he was ordered to Arkansas, and the command devolved upon me as senior brigadier. I commanded the division in the retreat from Corinth till we reached Clear Creek, near Baldwin, where I was taken ill with fever, and Major General Sam Jones was assigned to the division. I rejoined the division at Tupelo, Miss., where the army was reorganized, and I commanded a brigade in Sam Jones' division till we reached Chattanooga, Tenn., in August of that year, preparatory to the Kentuckly campaign.

In August, 1862, while encamped near Chattanooga, the division was reorganized, and was composed of Walker's, Adam's, Anderson's, and Richard's brigades. About the middle of August Major General Sam Jones was assigned to the command of the Department of East Tennessee and the command of the division devolved upon me. On the 1st of September I crossed Walden's Ridge with my division following Bucker's--the two composing Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee. Throughout this campaign I continued in command of the division, having Brig. Gen. Preston Smith's brigade of Cheatham's division added to it in the afternoon of the day of the battle of Perryville. We returned form Kentucky through Cumberland Cap, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Bridgport to Allisonia, in Franklin County, Tenn., where my division was halted for a fortnight. During theis time I visited for the first time in many years the grave of my father at Craggy Hope. From Allisonia the army proceeded to Shelbyville, where we halted ten days, and thence to Eagleville, where, in December, my division was broken up and I was assigned to the command of a brigade in Wither's division of Polk's Corps. This brigade was the one formerly commanded by Brig. Gen. Frank Gardner. I was only in command of it a few days when Rozencrans advanced upon Murfreesboro, where Gen. Bragg determined to give him battle, and for this purpose took his line of battle on the 27th of December about a mile and a half from Murfreesboro on the Nashville and Wilkinson pikes.

The morning of the day on which the line was taken up I was transferred to the command temporarily of Walthall's brigade of Mississippians. This was in consequence of Walthall's sickness and because the brigade was composed entirely of troops ( Mississippians) who had been under my command, either as brigade or division commander, since March, 1862. This brigade won many laurels in the battle of the 31st of December and the 2nd of January, 1863; was sent to reinforce Breckenridge on the right, who had been roughly handled that afternoon by superior numbers. We reached the scene of the conflict about sundown, and after the heaviest fighting was over, in time, however, to have several officers and men of out skirmish line severely wounded; and by interposing a fresh line between the victorious enemy and Breckenridge's shattered columns, gave time for the latter to rally and resume a line they held in the morning.

This affair gave rise to much bitter felling between Gen. Bragg and Maj. Gen. Breckenridge, Bragg in his official report having attributed more, I think, to my brigade than it was entitled to. On the other hand, Breckenridge hardly did us justice, or rather, his friends, who discussed the matter in the public prints, did not give me due credit for the conduct or operation on that occassion. They rather contended that I reached the ground after the fight was over, and although we came with good intentions and doubtless would have rendered efficient services, if it had been necessary, yet there was nothing to be done after our arrival, etc. The facts are, however, as I have stated them here, and as I stated them in my official report on that occasion, a copy of which I sent to Gen. Breckenridge, whereupon he wrote me a very complimentary note, characterizing the report as one that was "truthful and manly," (This note, with many valuable packages, including most of his Confederate correspondences and official reports in a a handsome desk, were burned at St. Mark's, Florida, while awaiting shipment. The warehouse was burned and they in it in 1869--E. A. A.). I think Gen. Bragg founded his report upon exaggerated statement of some partial friend of mine and hence attributed to more than I deserved. I allude to it here because both Bragg's and Breckenridge's statements may become matters of controversy and dispute hereafter.

After the Battle of Murfreesboro, during the illness and absence of Gen. Withers, I was in command of the division of over a month. In the meantime, Brig. Gen. Chalmers, who commanded a brigade of Mississippians in the division, was transferred to the Cavalry service in Mississippi, and upon Withers resuming command of the division, I was assigned permanently to the command of Chalmer's brigade, which I exercised without interruption while the army was at Shelbyville, Tenn., and during our retreat from that place to Chattanooga in June, July, 1863.

In July, 1863, I was sent with my brigade to hold the Tennessee River at Bridgeport and vicinity, while the balance of the army was at Chattanooga and above there on the river. This duty was performed to the entire satisfaction of Gen. Bragg. In August Withers was transferred to duty in Alabama and Hindman was assigned to command the division. Shortly before evacuating Chattanooga my brigade was withdrawn from Bridgeport by order of Gen. Bragg, and rejoined the division in the neighborhood of Chattanooga.

I commanded the division in Mclemore's Cove expedition in September, for which Hindman, who commanded the whole expedition, has received much censure. He certainly missed capturing eight or ten thousand of the enemy, which would have left the balance of Rozencran's army at Bragg's mercy. Soon after this, or rather while in McLemore's Cove, Hindman was taken sick and the command of the division again devolved on me.

On the night of the 19th of September, after the division had crossed the Chickamauga Creek and while it was getting in position for next day's fight, Hindman resumed command and continued in command of the division till the close of the battle after dark on the night of the 20th. So I commanded my brigade in the Battle of Chickamauga.

In the advance on Missionary Ridge, begun on the 21st, I was in command of the division. Soon after reaching Missionary Ridge, Hindman was placed under arrest by Gen. Bragg and the command of the division devolved upon me. I commanded it at the battle of Missionary Ridge, but on that morning protested against the disposition which had been made of the troops (see my official report), which was the worst I have ever seen. The line was in two ranks, the front rank at the foot of the hills and the rear rank on the top! And the men were over three feet apart in line! Thus the front rank was not strong enough to hold its position, nor could it retire to the top of the ridge so as to be of any service there. The consequence was that the troops made no fight at all, but broke and ran as soon as the enemy's overwhelming columns advanced. About the 1st of December Hindman was released from arrest and assumed command of the corps as senior major-general, and I remained in command of the divison.

In February, 1864, Major-General Breckenridge having been transferred to a command in the Southwestern Division, I was on the 9th day of February appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate a major general in the provisional army and assigned to the command of Breckenridge's division in the Army of Tennessee. Before receiving these orders, however, I received a dispatch from the President ordering me to Florida to assume command of that district. The Army of Tennessee was at this time at Dalton, Ga., under command of General Joseph E. Johnston.

I reached Florida the 1st of March, 1864, ten days after the battle of Olustee, and assumed command of the district, with headquarters in the field in front of Jacksonville. Remained there operating against the enemy at Jacksonville and on the St. Johns River all summer, until I was ordered back to the Army of Tennessee. We were able to confine the enemy closely to his entrenchments around Jacksonville, and by blowing up two of his armed transport above Jacksonville and one below, put a complete stop to his navigation of the river above that city, and caused him to evacuate Palatka and to use the river below Jacksonville with the greatest caution.

On the night of the 25th of July, 1864, I received a telegram from Gen. Bragg at Columbus, Ga., directing me to report to Gen. Hood at Atlanta without delay for duty in the field. I started to Atlanta on the morning of the 26th of July and reached Atlanta on the night of the 28th. On the 29th I was assigned to an on the 30th assumed command of my old division composed of Deas', Brantley's, Sharp's, and Manigault's brigades. I remained in command of these brigades until the evening of the 31st of August, when I was wounded in the Battle of Jonesboro, Ga., which compelled me to leave the field and has resulted in my absence from the army up to the present time.

There are many incidents connected with my experience which would interest my children if I had time to record them, but I have not. I have hurriedly written some of the prominent facts for their edification hereafter. This is a dark day in the history of the present war, but I believe a brighter will soon dawn upon us. If dissension and faction does not distract us, we will certainly achieve our independence. The course of some prominent men in Georgia (Toombs and Gov. Brown--E. A. A.) just at this time is much calculated to grieve the spirit of all true Southerners. It is to be hoped that they will desist from their factions, teachings, and practices, and soon unite with the patriots of the land to prosecute with unanimity and vigor the war which our enemies are determined to wage against us.

Patton Anderson

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article James Patton Anderson.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} James Patton Anderson, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
2. ↑ Heidler, David S. (David Stephen), and Jeanne T. Heidler. Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: a political, social, and military history. (Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, c2000).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} James Patton Anderson, in Legacy Project website.

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